No Time Like the Present
by grayscales
Summary: Slight TSFT spoilers. Ann has her happy ending, but what comes after? A series of CharliexAnn based drabbles. In no particular order. Rating may go up.
1. Sing

**Disclaimer- I do not own Charlie, or Ann, which is extremely disappointing. Maybe Libba will sell them to me… **

Sing

I stand on the stage, and I can't hear anything. I feel as if I'm about to faint. Why did I think I could do this?  
Oh God. They will all be so disappointed in me. I can see their faces, see how they will look at me. But now that I look closer, they aren't very disappointed. No one expects much of me, anyway. But why shouldn't they? I got myself here; _Ann Bradshaw, _scholarship student, butt of all of the jokes got herself here, with only her voice.

My fellow _Merry Maidens_ are beginning to stare at me, their eyes piercing. I should've come in just a second ago. For a moment, I panic. My head turns slightly to the side, my eyes gliding over the crowd, and a bright smile catches my attention. Charlie Smalls is grinning at me from the side of the stage, and his mouth forms the words, "Go on, Ann."

Part of me feels like I could cry. But I have worked for this. I can do it. My mouth opens, and the song, the song that lives inside me, the song that lives inside all the others, the Song that is truly Ann, emerges, and I have never felt anything like this. I can fly, if I try hard enough, here and now. I can fly on the wings of Charlie's smile, and on the wings of my Song.

**A/N- So. This is one of my new favorite pairings, and I decided I would write a drabble on them. This came out, and it wasn't exactly what I pictured, so I said to myself- I will do a series of CharliexAnn drabbles! And here is the first installment. I hope you enjoy.**

**Much Love,  
Scales.**


	2. Mirror to Self

**Disclaimer- Nope. Not me. The words aren't even mine- by the way, Alex, you have officially been christened The Best Friend Ever. **

_1. Mirror_

Sometimes I wonder why I'm not beautiful. Sometimes I yell at myself for thinking it matters. Sometimes I cry about it. And sometimes, most of the time, he tells me I am.

_2. Ink_

My face peers around the door, watching him write, his forehead crinkled and his ears pushed out slightly in concentration. The ink stains his fingers and I smile as I walk away.

_3. Forever_

I would like it to be forever, but how long can this perfection called love really last?

_4. Snow_

Those beautiful ice crystals land on her hands and turn her fingers red. He holds them to keep them warm. She can't feel the cold anymore.

_5. Storm_

If I had to guess what he would taste like, I think it would be rain. Fresh and bright, and deliciously alive.

_6. Complete_

He stands up and announces that the script is finished. He strides over to me and takes my face in his hands. He kisses me and then walks out, smiling, and I am standing with my fingertips to my lips.

_7. Clock_

He stared at me, and for once I felt like I was someone to be noticed. I could hear the ticking of the clock on his desk, and I wished wholeheartedly that it would slow and this moment would last forever.

_8. Myth_

It is windy outside when I tell him the story of 4 girls, and how they changed. He thinks me more than a story-teller.

_9. Profile_

She doesn't think she is beautiful, but when he stares at her from the side of the stage, he certainly thinks she is.

_10. Present_

She gets the giggles at the thought of Charlie with a bow around his head, but he certainly was a gift from God, even though she's not so sure if she believes in God anymore.

_11. Mask_

She doesn't need the mask she used to hide behind anymore. It was thrown away with her scars, because she doesn't need any of that anymore.

_12. Ring_

If she closed her eyes and imagined what she really wanted, she would hear church bells, and feel the weight of a new ring on her finger.

_13. Legacy_

She wonders if her mother could sing like her, or if her father was sweet like Charlie. The sad thing is, she'll never know.

_14. Muse_

He calls her his muse to have an excuse to hear her laugh and to watch her blush.

_15. Book_

He could fill a book with all the things she makes him feel.

_16. Dance_

She laughs as he twirls her on the empty stage, in the empty theater, and thinks that if she could live like this forever, she would be happy every moment.

_17. Dress_

She tries on the dress for the play, just to be sure it fits, and when she has trouble buttoning the last button, she feels his fingers close it for her.

_18. Wink_

When he winks at her after she finishes her song, it tears her breath away until she has to sing again.

_19. Rules_

She forgets the unspoken code that says a woman must be on the receiving end of the line, and leans forward to kiss him.

_20. Shock_

After the show is over, he shocks Ann (and everyone else) by sweeping her into a hug and spinning her around. She feels like she can fly.

_21. Challenge_

The first time he kisses her, it feels like a challenge. The first time she kisses him, it feels like an answer.

_22. Lines_

The first time she sees the line drawn to their show, she barely notices how she clutches excitedly to his hands. He does.

_23. Corset_

The first time Ann is alone with Charlie, she wonders if her corset has been pulled a little too tightly.

_24. Castle_

Waking up one morning, she groggily considers being a princess, and ponders who her prince would be. She doesn't have to think very long.

_25. Self_

She isn't too sure of who she really is, but she's starting to find out. And she's starting to see it in someone else.

**A/N- I have to thank Hawiian Girl for the inspiration of this chapter (Key to Victory was absolutely brilliant!) and my friend Alex for giving me these words and staying up 'till one in the morning, cheering me on. **

**Much Love,  
****Scales. **

**P.S. I really enjoyed doing this. I may have to do another...**


	3. The Sixth Show

**Disclaimer- Nope. I STILL have no money. Ergo, I do not own these characters. **

Five shows, she thought idly. Five shows, one for each of her pudgy fingers, five shows, and she knew this would be the worst. She wiggled her fingers and sighed. This would be their sixth show, and while Ann never had any problems with the number six, it was never her favorite. And she could feel the badness of this show in her bones, just as if the powers of the realms had given her the gift of prophecy.

The _Merry Maidens_, courtesy of Mr. Charlie Smalls, had been doing very well. On the first night, true, Ann had come in a little late, but no one had noticed. And the rest of the nights, and their shows, were absolutely fine. There were no losing of the props or costumes, there was no undeniably and quite horribly off key note, and the show was drawing in rather large crowds.

And Ann had no problems with the other _Merry Maidens_, for whom the show was named: there was Phoebe Barnes, who had a rather low voice for a girl, and was almost as tall as Gemma. Phoebe was outgoing, had an awful temper, and flirted outrageously with the men in the company—it made Ann blush when she was near enough. After Phoebe, Rebecca came to mind. At first, Ann just thought Rebecca shy. Now, she knows that Rebecca doesn't get along too well with people: she frowns and when holding a conversation with her, it's almost always one-sided. The last of the Merry Maidens was Henrietta Rowatt, and she was the prettiest of the four. She almost reminded Ann of Pippa, she was so beautiful, and they had similar hair and skin, but Ettie's eyes were very, very blue, and larger than Pip's. Ettie was by far one of the sweetest girls that Ann had ever met, but she wasn't very smart. Ann envied her, because she knew that even if Ettie didn't have a pretty voice (and she certainly did) the men would still fawn all over her. The only one who didn't pay very much attention to Ettie was Charlie: he nonchalantly mentioned to Ann that he didn't think that she was any more special than the next girl. Ann flushed at his bluntness, but was considerably cheered at this knowledge. Every other Tom, Dick and Harry was at her doorstep offering her flowers. Ann couldn't hate Ettie for this—she was too kind and too much a child to hate her for anything, but she certainly did envy her.

"Ann. Ann?" It was Ettie's voice, lilting prettily over the words. Even when she spoke it sounded like music. Ann turned away from the mirror, which she had been staring at as she zoned out the past few moments.

"I'm sorry, Ettie, what were you saying?"

"We're to go on in about a half an hour. Do you need help getting dressed?" Ettie smiled at Ann, and she glanced over at Rebecca, who was glowering at the girls, and Phoebe, who was turning her face from side to side and preening her hair.

"Of course, please." Ann did her best to smile, and she stood, preparing herself for the torture that was called dressing, and the show that would come after. The bad feeling was still there, and did not seem to want to pass.

The next fifteen minutes was spent dressing—Ettie threw up her hands at tying Ann's corset, saying how she simply couldn't _bear _to hurt their Annie. Part of Ann's mind was annoyed at how silly this was, but Rebecca tied it instead. The dress that Ann wore was very simple, and it matched the other girls' dresses but for the color: Ann's was a lovely light pink, Ettie's was a pale blue, Rebecca's was green, and Phoebe's was a bold red. Five minutes to the introduction, Charlie Smalls knocked on their door and stuck his head in to ask if they were ready. When he saw all four girls dressed and ready, a big, lopsided smile split his face. "My _Merry Maidens, _don't you all look the picture of beauty." He stole off his bowler hat and bowed deeply, peering up at them through his dirty-blond hair. Charlie laughed, and Ann could feel her smile nearly break her face in two. Ettie giggled girlishly, and Charlie raised an eyebrow at her and smiled. Ann felt something a little like jealousy. Phoebe, Ettie, Rebecca and Ann followed Charlie a few minutes after he left. They spoke amongst themselves, and even Rebecca seemed unusually chipper. Ann felt like a giant weight was bearing down on her; the foreboding feeling about tonight's show and Charlie's little flirt with Ettie seemed to weight ten pounds each, and obviously enjoyed sitting on her shoulders.

The first very bad mistake was in the first act, in the second scene, and it wasn't even made by Ann. Phoebe (who, surprisingly, was the least graceful) tripped over her dance partner's feet. It sent the audience to tittering, and the actors and actresses to nervousness. When Rebecca stopped singing, and it was time for Ann's solo, the pianist didn't come in, and in her panic, she forgot the words. Then, when Ettie had her part to sing, her voice had suddenly vanished. Nothing seemed to be going right. Nothing.

After the show, Phoebe glared vehemently at both Ann and Ettie. Ettie seemed to shrink beneath the stronger girl's gaze, pathetically, and still managed to keep her wide-eyed innocent look. With an annoyed sigh, Phoebe turned away from Ettie, and focused her annoyance on Ann.

"Ann! What were you thinking! How long do we have to practice before you can get something right?" Her voice was a snap, and each word was clipped.

"I-I…"

"You what?!? I would _dearly_ like to know, Ann! We've been practicing since the end of May! It's July already! And you don't know your lines! The only one who didn't mess up was Rebecca, and your mistake was surely the worst! You simply _ruined_ the show! Oh, the critics will have a ball with this one! And now no one will want to hire us! Splendid job, Miss Bradshaw." With that, Phoebe stormed away and Ann was left with doe-eyed Ettie, who looked as if she was about to cry, and an unsympathetic Rebecca. Biting the inside of her mouth, she turned to head up the stairs. Standing in the corner, watching the situation play out (who could blame him: this little outburst had more drama than the actual play) was Charlie. He was frowning around his cigarette, and staring at Ann. She walked past him, her teeth biting harder and harder into her mouth at every step. When she reached the stairs, it took all of the self-restraint (and practice) she had not to run up them to the safety of her room.

Fifteen minutes later, when Ann's face was blotchy from holding in the tears that clawed at her eyes, and her scissors were resting indecisively in her hands, there was a knock at her door. She closed the scissors with shaking fingers, and set them, unused, on her desk. She ran her hands over her face absentmindedly, as if to make sure there were no tearstains or other types of scars. Ann called for whomever it was to come in. Charlie Smalls, much to her surprise, was the one that opened it.

"Hello." Charlie's voice did not have his usual life—he seemed to be annoyed with something, and slightly disappointed.

"Hello." Ann's voice was quiet, and she watched as his eyes flicked to the scissors on her desk, to her face, and then back again. "Why are you not with the others? With Ettie and the others?" She could barely keep the jealousy out of her voice, but thinking back on it, she thought she managed it well enough.

"I need to talk to you."

"Oh. What about?" The disguise that she had worn so many years, to protect her from snide remarks, and condescending comments was in place, was back. And while this could be considered a type of acting, it didn't feel anything like what she felt on stage.

"Why do you belittle yourself so much?" Charlie's voice was removed, and sounded extremely matter-of-fact.

"What?"

"You act like you aren't worth anything, and you let anyone and everyone walk all over you. It's depressing to watch." A small bit of irritation was creeping into his voice.

"No, I don't." Her answer wasn't really fighting for herself: it was more of a sentence to use to pacify him. She was telling him what she thought he wanted to hear.

"Yes, you do Ann! You don't have any idea how much talent you have, what a good person you are!" The odd tone of distance was gone, and he sounded more like the normal Charlie, despite his obvious anger at her.

There was a pause, while she thought of what to say.

Her voice was quiet when she answered. "You wouldn't say that if you knew everything that I have done."

"Ann." He sighed, and for a moment, she felt a little glow at hearing him use her first name. She had given him permission to a few weeks ago, but he never had. "Don't tell me you aren't. You are a wonderful person—kind, smart, beautiful, talented! And you let everyone tell you your not and then you believe them!"

It felt like she couldn't breathe. The small room felt much smaller, and their distance seemed to shrink. His green eyes, much lighter than Gemma's, stared at her, and his intense look seemed to minimize the distance even more.

"What do you want me to do?"

"What do I want you to do? I want you to stand up for yourself, and don't let people put you down! Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't special." There were inches between them now, and Ann realized that it was because Charlie had been taking a step for every sentence. He took her face in his hands, and repeated himself. "Don't let anyone tell you that you aren't special." He kissed her forehead and seemed ready to pull away, but didn't. Charlie still held her face, and he glanced towards the door quickly, before pressing his lips to her own. It wasn't anything like the kiss that Kartik and Gemma shared in the chapel—it was completely innocent, and didn't hold all of the love that those two felt for each other. But the kiss that Charlie gave her seemed to tell her everything, and it was enough.

He turned away from her, and started to walk out of the door, stopping only to dip his hat, say goodnight, and watch her blush for a moment longer. Ann watched him leave, and if she could move at all, her mouth would be wide open in shock. But the only thing she could do was think, idly, was how surprised she was that his lips didn't taste of cigarettes.

**A/N- Squee! That's the longest chapter I've ever written! It made me happy. But I'm not too sure of what I think of it. So you should tell me what YOU think!  
I have soooo many ideas for this series-of-sorts that I don't even know where to start. However, if any of you have ideas, PM me, and I'll use them. I'm falling in love with this pairing-- I mean, its pratically canon! **

**Much Love,  
Scales.**

**P.S. Is 'her's' a word? My Word program does not seem to think it is, but I think I have used it before...**


	4. Trust

**Disclaimer- If I actually owned all of this, would I be writing this piece, at 1.30 in the morning, listening to All Time Low? Nope, didn't think so.**

Trust

It was the beginning of June, and the rehearsals had been going on for about a week now. Ann had secured lodgings not too far from the Gaiety, where the troupe would practice. Every day, at about one forty-five, Ann would leave her temporary home and walk the ten minutes to the theater. Usually, she would get there in time to meet Charlie opening the door to the theatre, and he would smile at her as he ground his cigarette under his heel and hold the door for her. She would walk into the theater first, and it always made her smile, because, she thought, this theater meant more to her than to any of the others in the company. It saved her, and it meant absolutely everything. The others could have grown up and chosen something other than the stage, but, Ann knew, this was what she was meant to do. She could feel it in her heart, in her throat, every time she walked in.

But today, she was not early. Charlie did not hold the door for her, and she was not the first into the theater.

Miss Phoebe Barnes, the tall strawberry blonde, laughed as Charlie held the door for her, and cast him a flirtatious glance. Miss Barnes was a rather bold girl, Ann thought peevishly. Her father was a middle-class lawyer, but she chose the stage instead of marrying into another merchant family. Some gossips said she resorted to the stage because her father could find no man to take so brash a girl. But while she was here, Miss Barnes had no problem at all toying with the men at the theater. Charlie merely shook his head with his usual smile and glanced behind him. When he caught sight of Ann, his smile widened (Ann thought vaguely about how that was even possible) and he waited.

"Not early today, huh, Miss Bradshaw?" He had ignored her offer of her first name. "I was starting to think you ran off to get married like Miss Washbrad."

Ann smiled shyly, and Phoebe reappeared from the theater.

"Our Ann? Run off to get married?" Phoebe threw her head back and laughed merrily, loudly. "Why, Mr. Smalls, that's simply delightful!"

Ann's face fell, and Charlie's smile shrank a millimeter.

Phoebe's face registered shock for a moment and then she gasped dramatically, every inch an actress. "Oh Ann, _darling, _I didn't mean to be insulting! Not at all!"

Ann shook her head and replied, "Oh, Miss Barnes, think nothing of it. I'm as likely to get married as you are to be asked." She smiled sweetly, innocently, and Phoebe had to think on whether or not she was just insulted. Charlie could barely hold in his laughter, and coughed to hide it, but Ann was mortified that she had just said that. She had been thinking earlier how much she had changed, but that didn't sound anything like the Ann she knew! It was if a mini-Felicity was living inside her! Ann shuddered with that thought, and apologized profusely to Phoebe, saying how she had no idea how that had come out of her mouth. But Phoebe simply "Hmphed!" and stormed away, not looking again at Ann.

Ann bit her lip, and watched her go, but Charlie simply said to let her.

"She'll get over it before rehearsals are finished. You know how Phoe-Miss Barnes is—she has more bite than bark."

Ann nodded, still nervous and taken-aback, but she moved to take a seat.

Just a few moments later, Ettie was escorted into the theater by her newest suitor.

"Oh, goodbye!" She called, waving after him, a wide smile on her pretty face. "Ann! How wonderful to see you!" Ettie almost skipped over to where Ann was sitting, and proceeded to kiss Ann on both cheeks.

"Ettie. Good afternoon." Ann smiled shakily, in slight shock from her little verbal clash with Phoebe. Ettie took care of the conversation from there, chatting about how _wonderful_ her suitor is, and how nice her night was, and how was Ann's? and isn't she excited to be here? and how nice the weather is today.

Rebecca followed Ettie in, took her seat next to Ann, and was her usual nonsocial self, sitting straight in her chair. Phoebe emerged from the dressing room, her face powder renewed and scowled at Ann. She kissed Ettie and Rebecca both, but sat one seat over from Ann. The other two girls ignored it, but Ettie's chattering took on a nervous tone at Phoebe's obvious slight.

Charlie took long strides onto the center stage, smiling at the four girls and three men assembled in front of him. Those seven where the main players, and Ann, Phoebe, Ettie and Rebecca were among them.

"Okay. Now that we're all here, I have an exercise for you." Charlie grinned, and the gap between his teeth and the lightness of his smile made him seem the friendliest person in the room. "Come up on stage, c'mon."

The seven made their way on to the stage, and stood in front of Charlie in loose groups. He made a gesture with his hands that suggested intermingling, and said, "Alright, everyone team up." Ann watched as everyone stepped closer to some else—Ettie to Rebecca, Phoebe to the male lead, Mr. Jacob Sanders, and the two remaining men to each other. Leaving Ann alone. Not very surprising. Rebecca looked indifferent, as usual, Ettie looked guilty, and Phoebe was staring at Ann with pursed lips, as if saying, "Ha! You were rude to me, and now no one wants to be partnered with you!"

Charlie grinned at Ann. "Seems as if you are stuck with me, Miss Bradshaw." Ann blushed lightly, and before Charlie turned to the other's he winked at her. This caused her face to darken in color (at least a tomato red, she thought), but she said nothing.

"Okay, everyone. I want the lighter of you all to step in front of the other." Charlie stepped behind Ann, Phoebe stepped in front of Mr. Sanders, Ettie in front of Rebecca, and smaller of the men in front of the other. "Now, watch me." Charlie held out his arms, and Ann wondered at what he was doing. Charlie cleared his throat quietly and said to Ann in a whisper, "Fall."

She could barely stop from spinning around. "_What?_"

"Fall. Backwards. I'll catch you."

"You want me to fall? Backwards?" Ann wasn't nearly as quiet as Charlie, and she could see Phoebe smirking at her.

"Yes. Just do it. You trust me, right? So just fall."

_Trust,_ she thought, _right_. Ann shut her eyes quickly, took a deep breath and fell backwards. For a moment, when she had the mind to think, she thought Charlie was going to drop her. _I'm so heavy! He's going to drop me, and then I will never be able to look anyone in the eyes again! _

But in that second that passed (for it could be hardly more than a second), Ann was resting in Charlie's arms, with them nearly wrapped around her waist in catching her. The breath she didn't know she was holding came out in a relieved sigh.

"You really thought I was going to drop you, didn't you?"

**A/N- Hi! I feel kind of guilty, because this is the first time that I've not updated Inspection on the date that I set, but I've been working on this so much, and I haven't got any ideas for that story lately. I don't think anyone besides me would notice, anyway.  
****I thought this was a cute idea—I mean, we all do the falling back thing in kindergarten and stuff, so why not? What did you guys think?**

**Much Love,  
****Scales.**

**P.S. - Did you know that Polly is short for Mary? I was astonished. (It'll probably turn out that I'm the only one that didn't know this. ) **


	5. Perfect

**Disclaimer- I don't anything, for the 40-millionth time.  
A/N: Before I start, I want to apologize. I feel I owe you, the reader, an explanation (or a few explanations) for my lack of updating. One, I am very, very busy (and I know this is not a good one). Two, this is what happens when I don't set a due date for myself. Three, when I was working on one chapter, _Alteration_, my computer crashed and everything, EVERYTHING had to be wiped off. So, share my pain and forgive me (please). Oh, and I wanted to remind you, this story DOES jump around a lot, so don't get confused by the time period. This is a few years after the others, and Ann and Charlie are already married...**

The first girl's name was Zoë. She was so beautiful, and Ann could do nothing but stare at her and keep herself from crying: that would mean that she would not be able to see this beautiful, alien creature. She was not sure why she chose Zoë- Charlie had wanted her to name the baby, if it was a girl, Annabelle. Ann had shook her head, adamant that this child would not be named Annabelle- Annabelle was simply too much like the name Ann. Why should this baby, this perfect, wonderful, fresh child, untouched by the evils of the world, be christened with a name that was so similar to the name of a woman who was not beautiful, or smart, or truly kind, when that was everything that this child would be? No. Zoë was perfect, because this little girl _would_ be beautiful and smart and kind, and truly _alive_ in the best way that Ann and Charlie could make her, and she would be everything that Ann was not, because this child would be perfect.

Her hair was dirty blonde and her eyes were the color of green Ann had come to associate with Charlie. Her face was full, her skin pale, her lips red and her nails long. And as Zoë slept that night, in a fetal position, her fingers curled near her face, Ann thought she had seen nothing so wonderful, so full of promise and hope.

Zoë was four. William, their son, was only a baby, about fourteen months. Alexander was two days, and already dead. He was weak to begin with, contrary to his name "defender of men". There was a good chance that he would live, everyone said. They told her there was a good chance, but it didn't seem to be good enough because Alex's tiny heart was no longer beating, his chest was no longer rising and falling and his eyes, the color of Charlie's and Zoë's, were not open and aware as they had been yesterday. Alive and aware as they had been hours ago, moments ago, lifetimes ago. William was too young, but Zoë stared at baby Alex and she stared at her mother. She took her mother's hand and said nothing. Ann felt as if she was floating away, never to return to this life. The only thing holding her here was her daughter's tiny, four year old hand, which held the strength to keep her pinned here, to this earth where she belonged.

Zoë's hair was long and dirty blonde; on hot summer days like these, Zoë would come to Ann and beg her mother to braid it. She would have an excuse to run her fingers through it, and be close to her daughter in a way that she almost never was anymore. Her hair sparkled like gold in the sunlight and Zoë's laugh, at one of her father's jokes, hummed throughout the air. The breeze that blew pulled strands of Zoë's hair from her hands, and when Ann finished and turned her daughter towards her, the hair hung about her face. She had never looked so beautiful, and the day had never been so beautiful, and Zoë and this day were absolute perfection. The overwhelming glory of it, and the way the sunlight suddenly slanted, turning everything gold as if touched by Midas, brought tears to Ann's eyes. The picture blurred and it only made the scene more beautiful.

Friends. Felicity was back in London, and Gemma had come to visit, and the memory of Pippa hung strong in the air. Felicity and Gemma smiled and embraced Ann. Zoë was upstairs with William, and the two youngest girls, twins, Eva and Mae hung about their father. Soon, Zoë came bounding down the stairs to see who was at the door; there, she met two women who exclaimed in delight how much she was like her mother.

**A/N: So. What do you think? Am I dreadfully out of practice? Be brutal- it will make me feel better about updating so late. And in my haste to get this up, I didn't go through it very carefully, so if you find any mistakes, point them out to me, please? What do you think of the names, by the way? I love names, so I would adore hearing your opinion. Okay... Until next time, which (hopefully) will come quicker than this one!**

**Much Love,  
Scales.**

**P.S. What do you think- in a Phoebe-Felicity face-off, who would win? **


	6. The Epiphany

**I would like to apologize for how long it has been since I updated this story. It is inexcusable but if I say any more than this, the words will come out feeling wrong. I'm sorry.**

**Disclaimer- Not mine. Libba writes about a 1,000 times better than me anyway. –self pity-**

I could feel it, as the whole world shifted around me. I felt like I finally came into whom I was, who I was as Ann Bradshaw. I didn't have to be anyone else, and I already knew this epiphany would make my step lighter, my eyes brighter, my smile wider, my voice louder. This was _it_. The moment people waited lifetimes for, and it was within my reach, I only had to stretch out and grab it, and hold it close. My fingers closed around it and I felt like I could fly away. But I didn't. I stood there, stood my ground, because this was finally _right._

Sometimes it takes an example, I suppose. Someone to walk before you do, someone to form the words that will become your first. Someone to play the notes before you sing them.  
He loved me before I loved myself.  
I didn't know it was possible, for someone to feel this way about me, someone to love me, as opposed to the usual disdain or even the _like_ that Gemma and Fee surely felt. He held my hands as he told me, kissed me gently before he told me, and afterwards I merely stared at him.  
"I love you, Ann." But the words were impossible. "I love you, more than anything, but I can't do it like this, not when you don't believe me, even as I say it." He took my wrist and placed a kiss there, and on the tender flesh of my skin, it felt like a brand.  
And, as if in water, the movements seeming exaggeratedly slow, Charlie got up and, for the first time, left me. For two weeks, I felt emptier than ever. The part of my life that had been Charlie had been ripped away, leave frays and scars that didn't seem to heal.

I wanted to call after him, but I couldn't. I sat there, immobile, and I regretted it later. For now I didn't know where to reach him. _The Merry Maidens_ run was over, and he had told me himself that he was taking up a different apartment the day before, but never mentioned where. I had no leads.  
I soon found myself searching every street, every person's face, hoping to see his eyes staring back at me, his beautiful gap-toothed smile appearing.  
And then I saw him. His coat was wrapped around him, a bowler hat sitting close on his head, dirty blonde hair peeking out from below. I cried out, and hurried through to crowd, calling "Charlie! Charlie!" But he didn't hear me.  
But then, I was close enough and I could see. I was instantly crushed with disappointment—the coat was wrapped around a figure too large, the bowler too solid a black, too new, and the hair too dark a brown. It wasn't my Charlie.  
I was trampled with the disappointment, standing entirely still, before someone came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, spinning around to see who had put their hand on me.

"Looking for someone?" And his voice felt like home, and I smiled at him.  
He smiled back, and his eyes lit up, staring at me.  
I wanted to say it, to tell him, but my throat was already too full with things to say to say anything at all, and it seemed that I didn't need to anyway. He already knew.

**A/N- Again, I apologize. I hope this goes towards making it up to the people who liked this fiction. And I might be updating Inspection soon (a Kartik chapter is in progress, but its very raw right now, AKA, very bad) so keep an eye out.**

**Much Love,  
Scales.**

**P.S. There might be a modern Chann fic in the works. Maybe. It wouldn't be very original, (its modern, what can I say?) and I haven't even started it yet. But I would like to do a chapter fic, and maybe some people would be interested? –is hopeful- **


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